Against the Plagues: The Architecture of Oppression
Born of Chicago Nights:
A Review of The Architecture of Oppression
Patrick Sullivan
Black Oak Presents
Autumn 2007
Most styles of music are cultivated and bred in specific regions of the world. The American South has the blues, Great Britain has skiffle, and Scandinavia has the distinction of being associated with the forefront of extreme metal. Against the Plagues is a death metal band with all the same trademarks of genre bands such as Dimmu Borgir and Old Man’s Child, which include fast paced guitars and drums, heavy use of keyboards for atmosphere, plenty of tempo changes, and banshee-like vocals.
What makes Against the Plagues stand out is that the band was born right here in Chicago. The masterminds of the group are Adrian Adamus and Varyen, veterans of the local metal scene. The creation of the group soon attracted Wojtek Lisicki of the Swedish band Lost Horizon, and he joined on guitar. Another Chicagoan and a Texan round out the quintet’s lineup.
Their debut album, The Architecture Of Oppression barrels along at a frantic pace from the get-go. The album doesn’t even begin to let up until about three fourths of the way through, which ultimately becomes a disappointment because that is when the album seems to have the most life. The first five tracks are all fast and heavy, but they do begin to blend together by the second track. That is not to say that staying consistent is a problem, but it can become a tedious listen without any change in beat or tempo. There needs to be an ebb and flow for an album to have any balance and make for an enjoyable, enriching listen.
Bassist Logan Perez handles the vocal duties for Against the Plagues. The vocals are in the typical death metal fashion, and Perez doesn’t do much to distinguish himself from others in the field. There is very little vocal variation from song to song.
The rhythm section falls prey to the same pattern of not trying anything other than sounding like a death metal band. The guitar work is the bright spot here. The lead work does a nice job of adding a unique aspect to the songs. It is a bit more involved and varied in its approach while still remaining speedy and very much “metal.”
All criticisms aside, Against the Plagues is still a young group with members scattered over the western hemisphere. They aren’t out there re-inventing anything, but are very able at what they do. That is enough of a testament to their talent and aspirations. According to the group, this is not a side project of any sort and will continue.
The Architecture of Oppression hints that Against the Plagues has a lot more to offer and new territories to explore in future releases. Until then, they have succeeded in creating an American slice of Swedish metal pie.
For more information visit www.againsttheplagues.com.
Patrick Sullivan is fidgety, thinks too much, and can never relax. He lives on Chicago's north side and enjoys ice cream. Sometimes he writes music reviews for Black Oak Presents.
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